subversive radish
Posted on October 16th, 2012
I am not a rich man. I don’t want to be rich, I’m not driven by money. In fact I’ve slowed down and reduced my earning capacity of late. So much so that I’d definitely be eligible to be classed in the lower-earning class, societally speaking. Just to clear things up for any confused readers, writing a book and getting published doesn’t equate to financial wealth. Far from it. I have enough money to pay bills, look after the kids and buy basics of food and wine. That’s it.
So the poorer I get, the more effort I’ll need to put into my food production. It seems to make sense, well as an experiment in frugality. And it’s do-able even for the renter, as that’s what I am. I don’t own any property, but my landlord has been kind enough to allow me to plant a vegetable garden and house some chooks. It was just a matter of asking.
So when people tell me to stop being judgemental about ‘poor’ people eating junk food, processed and frozen supermarket food I scuff at the silliness of it all. It seems logical to me, a person in this very situation, that it’s even more relevant to grow your own veg the poorer you are. The harder you need to work for your food. I like this approach. I have zero intentions of changing my system.
The poorer I get, the richer the food I get to eat. It’s phenomenal and almost unbelievable to hear. But it’s the truth. Because I don’t need to spend a lot of my money on regular supermarket food I get to have the odd indulgent treat. Like the Meredith marinated goat’s feta that I used in this roast radish salad. The pine nuts, also expensive but a great addition to the dish, are also a treat. And I can afford these items because all the other stuff that gets used in the kitchen is free, well apart from the seeds and the effort. So this little radish salad for lunch, reconfirms to me that it’s possible for one member in the house to focus on the food production, acquisition, processing, preserving and cooking. It’s what used to happen in the old days. Why can it not happen in 2012?
As I type this, I’m feasting on a rabbit stew featuring a rabbit I shot last night, slow cooked with my passata, plenty of parsley, chorizo and a few onions. Another delicious meal, very frugal and limited carbon footprint.
Firstly peeps I’m not being judgemental in any way, you make your own choices, but I also struggle with this concept. I have never had any money in fact I have been on the bare bones of my arse with not a cent to my name 3 times in my independent life. Yet I’ve been around the world many times, I live such a rich and fulfilling life, I’m in great health, got a lovely family, live in a great community and I just don’t really get the can’t afford to eat well argument. And I would agree with you here Rohan that the less money I have, the more I concentrate on what is really important and that mostly for me anyway is a good meal and clean water to drink. And that usually fuels my thought enough to think my way around the next financial hurdle. Sort out what matters, eat better, eat less.
Rohan, I love your blog (I really do!), but posts like this one leave a bad taste in my mouth. Why can’t you celebrate the choices you make without “scoffing” at the choices of others and bringing them down in the process? It brings an unecessarily negative vibe to your blog which has to be turning readers off; I’ve noticed a number of other readers making comments to similar effect on previous posts. Ultimately, you simply can’t judge somebody without walking a mile in their shoes. Who knows what’s going on in the life of the person you see making a bad food choice in the supermarket? Like you, I believe that the world would benefit from less junk food and a simpler, home-grown approach to food. But, it would also benefit from less ill-informed judgement and more open mindedness, empathy, and encouragement. In terms of spreading your message successfully (and, again, I think it’s a really valid message) you would do well, I think, to reflect a little on that latter point.
Thanks Jennie,
I think I’m pretty open minded, encouraging and empathetic to people struggling.
I’m also vocal about my intolerance for people making excuse’s for their poor choices in food acquisition. I’ve been made redundant, as of Thursday I’ll be unemployed. How many more miles can I walk in the shoes of the poor? Do you think I’ll suddenly start buying cheap poor quality mass produced food and low price junk food because I’m jobless? Or do you think by growing my own veg on my rented soil and harvesting wild food I’ll continue to show by example? Watch this space.
This makes my blood boil. Jennie has labelled you judgmental, and so has judged your intentions (!). In this country you should be able to ask questions and challenge thinking without being labelled. Raising indigenous health issues can see you called racist, being curious about climate change brands you a skeptic or deny-er. Where is the debate? Robust societies are built upon robust debate, I’m afraid we in Oz are succumbing to those who would rather do name calling and labeling than discussion. How fragile we are… Here’s the big question: How is it that in Australia we have the twin issues of rising poverty and rising obesity? Odd, isn’t it? The simplistic view is that good food costs big bucks. Well Rohan, the reason I’m a fan of yours is that you have stepped into the middle are educating us that good food is accessible to all – even those with small balconies. We should be grateful. Bought the diggers club seed pack – awesome.
Made me tear up a little. Love this comment Sue. Lifted my spirits.
A friend directed me to this post, and I appreciate your points. However, it is simplistic to talk about poverty only in terms of money. My family is quite poor on paper, but we have distinct advantages and resources over other more stereotypically poor people. This is something I’ve been thinking of a lot. I don’t come from generational, cyclical poverty: I was raised, and I have lived, in the middle class with those values, visions, and connections.
You’re right, Rohan. The rich tradition of peasant food in every part of the world is testament to the fact that one does not need to be monetarily well off to eat well. Why can it not happen in 2012? That’s a very interesting question, one that I have pondered myself. A lot depends on geography. We have family members who live very simply in rural France – like you, they would probably also fall into the ‘lower income’ class. Yet they have access to their own free range chickens and ducks, and at one time were making foie gras for their own (and our) consumption. I think many people who might be in a position to feed themselves and their kids better (and I don’t think the urban poor fall into this category, but that’s another issue) just feel overwhelmed by their jobs, family responsibilities, and simply not knowing how to get started.
You make a good point Zelda. I’ve always believed that everyone has a choice to change their life, ( that applies to the urban poor too). Someone said to me recently that it’s the first step that’s the hardest. There are many community projects I know of here in Ballarat that have an open door policy, yet the offer isn’t taken up by ‘the poor’. I wonder if the lifestyle choices of bad foods and computer games are ingrained in a culture now. It seems such a loss, if you consider that 100 years ago the poor people often had the richest of lives.
Thanks for your thoughts.
You’ve hit the nail on the head – unhealthy lifestyle choices HAVE become ingrained in our culture. In one or two generations, the connection between food source and plate has, for the majority, been obscured. It’s a sign of the times that simple pleasures traditionally enjoyed by the ‘poor’ have, in a perverse way, become fashionable (I’m thinking of prohibitively pricey restaurants serving ‘cucina povera’) or a gourmet luxury, such as foie gras (a rare treat reserved for high days and holidays, sure, but traditionally not the preserve of the rich).
Well, I’d have to sat I’ve not tried rabbit yet, however tonight my family and I sat down to kangaroo( not caught & skinned by us but bought from the supermarket) and simple salad and thoroughly enjoyed our dinner too. It’s true, the more simple the fare, the more enjoyable it is!
Cheers,
Liz
Wonderful words from the post and the reply. Let’s take rich/poor out of the discussion as it trascends such black and white thinking. This is more important – our disconnect with reality is at stake. Supermarkets serve themselves. Did you know that not all tomato sauces contain tomatoes? The integrity of our food and what we feed our kids will underpin our future. We are not poor – very comfortable, but concerned about the miles our food travels and the resulting degradation, the additives and preservatives. So we grow as much as we can and the chook palace is under construction. Can’t hunt to save our lives but will only buy free range/organic AND it’s not as expensive as you think! Shop around go to farmer’s markets and talk to the passionate folk who produce such fare. We buy our meat from a local farmer who hand-feeds her stock and 1/4 beast costs avg $8 per kilo inc fillet, rump, mince stewing steak and sausages etc. How good is that? Love your work Ro, bought the book – mainly to bash the kids with.
Sue, you’ve lifted my spirits this morning! Thank you for your comment! It’s true…..we all have a choice. It’s just that some people like to play victim and use excuses not to make the effort. You however seem to be kicking some goals! Much love heading you way!
The Meredith Dairy Goats Cheese is my favourite! I use the oil from it too. It lasts us ages, as I use it sparingly, and relish it greatly. This is pretty much our food philosophy. We have money, we work hard to get it & keep it, but we live frugally in many ways, and we make sacrifices… we grow some of our own, we eat ‘simple meals’ like omelettes with home grown greens, and home grown vege hash with fried eggs, but we buy high quality food as much as possible. Organic, ethically raised, local-as-possible meat and dairy are items that we consider an investment and worth spending the money on. We just eat less of them, make them go further and appreciate them more! Do we still eat ‘junk food’ or take-away? Do we still buy processed items? Yes, we do, but not often. But please know, just because we earn decent incomes doesn’t mean our lives are not rich too. It is more about awareness and being willing to cook outside the box… to accept that not every meal has to be as complex as Masterchef… to realise that good, simple, healthy food is an investment in your health and your future… to know that growing or raising your own feeds more than just your stomach, it feeds your soul! Whether you have money or not, there is no reason you cannot embrace this philosophy!
By the way, I had radish as an afternoon snack, fresh out of the garden, dressed with some water from the tap, garnished with the quick snap-off of the leaves (which my chooks ate as their afternoon snack!)
I agree with you,Rohan.We live on a age pension but live very well. We have a little cottage with a small garden.My husband…of 58 years today!!…says “If you cant eat it…dont grow it” but I get to have my pots of pansies and bee loving flowers all around.We think its a poor meal that does not have most home grown ingredients.Our beloved and spoilt chooks reward us with more eggs than we use but they are handy items to barter with for something we do not have.You read how hard life is on a pension but we consider we are rich and want for nothing.
BEAUTIFUL!!!! Love this Shirley!!
And much love and congratulations on your long life of love!!!!!!!
Brilliant! Another leading by example!!!
It was gratifying to hear “I can do this” after I gave a four-season growing presentation at a garden show last year. I live in Maine (US) and have a cold, snowy winter, and still eat fresh vegetables year round. It takes time to learn how but it doesn’t take a lot of money or a lot of time. Everyone is capable of growing something to eat even if it’s as simple as a pot of lettuce or a kale plant. Once we make people understand how simple it can be, the hardest part of teaching is over.
Excellent Robin. It’s freezing and cold here in the central highlands, so we too have the challenge of getting through winter, but ti’s doable! Great to hear your story!
Heard your interview on ABC Melbourne last week – signed up for your blog – impressed with your approach – the world has to change – we all have to change – you are doing something very useful communicating your life and approach to the public – keep at it please – and perhaps think about bigger audiences and television.
Thanks Mark!!!
Good for you that you are willing to grow your own veggies. WE do too.. well, I do it & hubby and the kids watch me with the occasional child asking to help me pull weeds. Late summer (northern hemisphere in USA) I know that I can count of on having fresh corn, green beans, juicy ripe tomatoes, onions, peppers, summer squashes, cucumbers, melons, and in the fall I get pumpkins, winter squashes, carrots, potatoes, and beets. In the spring we have radishes, sweet green peas, spinach, lettuce.
This is a tradition that my family has followed for many years, clear back to the Great Depression in the US, a time period when both of my parents were born, and both of their families became excellent at making food stretch and last, mainly by preservation and canning (which I also do). We have money for our needs but we do the garden for our enjoyment and dinner table.
I envy you your chickens, but we do get eggs from the neighbors; hubby refuses to have any.
I believe that we eat very well, but I also had a different upbringing than some of my friends, my Mother taught me how to cook well from the simple staples of food, and to embellish as wanted; also to eat lots of green veg both fresh & not. Your salad would have been considered a luxury in her home because of the kind of cheese; the pine nuts were something we often had as a snack (Mother grew up in northern Arizona where the native Americans gathered & sold the pine nuts everywhere, they were normal to her).
Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Gayle,
You’ve raised an interesting point that I think is important. I’ve had to teach myself a great deal of skills for my lifestyle, and I lament that there has been a few generations now where the old ways have not been handed down. I think it’s our responsibility to pass on these skills to the next generation, so that we can hope for an better world? Too optimistic?
http://www.diggers.com.au/shop/product/S260/LOW%20INCOME%20VEGETABLE%20OFFER.aspx
makes this diggers pack look like such a bargain!
JAKE YOU’RE A DEAD SET LEGEND FOR SHOWING ME THIS!!!!! AMMUNITION!!!
Couldn’t agree with you more! After living in Tuscany for years where many of my friends are mostly self-sufficient (right down to the wine and olive oil, even in the smallest of spaces!), I realised how much more important access to growing your own food is. It’s not only free (aside from the effort, as you say) but it’s freeing, I think, to not have to rely on a supermarket to bring you food from miles away. While it’s really still the norm to grow your own food in places like Italy, it’s true that too many people here in Australia just don’t care or find it much too convenient to go to the supermarket. At a recent talk I went to on the subject ‘can we afford not to eat local?’ it seemed that even in a room full of experts and passionate people there was really no answer on how it could get better… each to his own, maybe, but some don’t know what they’re missing out on!
You couldn’t have said it any more beautifully! I agree that it’s not part of our culture as the norm, but I’m doing my darnedest to make it the norm for my family.
Thanks Rohan:)
Love your blog,keep telling it like it is!!We have just recieved your book and I love it,absolutely love it..my husband and I are looking into getting our hunting license’s soon,it something we had talked about for awhile.We are in the bush living out Gippsland way and would love to be able to hunt for food:) Look forward to all your posts,thanks again!
Carleene
Thanks Carleene, it’s a bit of extra work, hunting that is, but along with a veg garden it makes you fairly self sufficient! All the best with your endeavors!
Love your work Rohan!
Back at ya Jane!
I see no negativity with this post. Only inspiration and admiration. I love reading your posts. The photography and food are always sensational. I look forward to reading your book.
Thanks Veronica! I love your support! Come visit anytime!
After reading the replies, I think I might move to rural area in a European country.
PS it sucks people have been hassling you. It’s your message, you get to spread it in your voice.
Thanks lovely! That’s blogging for you! We’ll often get misinterpreted or boxed into a roll….especially if we’re not afraid to voice our opinions.
And sometimes people come flying out of left field with interpretations we had never thought of! It’s tiring to have to constantly explain yourself, but heartening to know the wider message is still getting to the people who will take from it what they need xx
Hi Rohan,
Is there somewhere we can get your book where you get more of the profits and not the middle man?
Do you eat crayfish and freshwater pipis (mussels) from dams? If so, any tips on preparation? We have heaps but not sure how to best prepare them.
M
Unfortunately no!
All books are sold by retail or online which means I get around a $1.50 for every book sold. Not going to make much money from this venture, but that was never the intention. My drive was always to get the message of us being able to take care of our own food supply.
I’ve not eaten the fresh water pipes, I can’t see why they can’t be eaten though. The freshwater crays and yabbies just need a boil for a few minutes until they go red. I want some of those fresh water crays!!! They make a beautiful pasta!
Started reading your blog a couple of weeks ago, have since read almost every entry and bought your wonderful book. I really love your approach to life and agree that ‘growing your own’ is not a difficult task.
I live in Melbourne in an apartment with a tiny balcony, taking pride of place alongside my BBQ is a vast array of herbs that I have tended to for the past year. Last summer, I had a small crop of beans and salad leaves. This summer I’m growing salad leaves, tomatoes, chillies and strawberries, alongside some more seasonal herbs. It makes me so proud to see my little seeds start to sprout and look forward to the bounty (hopefully).
Well done Robert! I bet that mini garden will give you so much joy (and some tucker)!!
It’s so encouraging to hear people like you making that little bit of effort even when you’re limited by space! Good on you!!
I appreciate that you’re doing this as a renter. I thought you owned some property or the property you were on, but that’s cool that you don’t. What property did you build the smoker on if you don’t own any of your own?
My husband and I rent the property that we farm on. It is owned by a rental company that doesn’t know we do much of what we do, but the last tenants took such poor care of the place that nothing we’ve done will be anything but an improvement by the time we move on somewhere else. It will have some of the richest soil for the Tampa, FL area.
Also, I’d say about having the opinion regarding poor folk eating better food – anyone who holds an opinion positively towards some form of action, in this case growing your own food, is by necessity of that opinion saying that they disagree with the alternative. How strong that disagreement is may vary, but even saying that you think people are making poor eating choices doesn’t mean that you’re looking down on them as people, just their habits in food. And there are a lot of bad habits in food these days.
Thats the best comment….
“saying that you think people are making poor eating choices doesn’t mean that you’re looking down on them as people, just their habits in food”
Brilliant!!!
hey ro, just wanted to say I bought your book and love it, the spanish bunnys first on my to cook list x
Thanks Paula! Rabbit is a delish meat! You’ll have plenty of good meals from it!
Hi Rohan! Just wandered over from Kitchn. Am I glad I did! How beautifully you say what needs to be said. What I find utterly offensive is the implication that the poor (bless their hearts) are incapable of learning new skills and the only respectful thing for good progressives to do is to take a box of Hamburger Helper to the food bank. Or (latest horror from our local, urban U.S. school district) provide a nice bowl of Fruit Loops to the school kiddies in the morning.
Its a messed up food system we have. We have it bad here in Australia too! All the best, and thanks for wandering over from Kitchn!
I dont want everyone eating wild food lol there would be none left for me!
I think a lot of time when people say “I don’t have enough time” what they really mean is “I don’t have enough energy.” As someone who’s worked in the physically and emotionally grueling service energy, I can’t imagine having done my job and then gone home to plant vegetables, much less take care of the kids etc. The type of constant away-from-home work many people do these days is SO different than the lives of peasants back in the day, it’s not really comparable.
And the depressing part about not feeling like you have the energy to eat well means you have even less energy in the long run because you aren’t eating well. I agree with you that it is often possible for people to eat better than they do and simply blaming poverty isn’t enough–we need to understand the whole of the situation so we can work to change it. There are so many disconnects– because of changes in work, family, food supply, etc. we have lost a lot of knowledge about how to feed ourselves both frugally and healthfully, and this knowledge isn’t just going to magically come back because some people point out it people should eat differently.
I also believe junk food (especially sugar and caffeine) are real addictions used to cope with real problems–I know I often used sweets and alcohol to “relax” at the end of a stressful day even though it mostly just made me more tired, plus a headache. It doesn’t mean it can’t be overcome, but it means lots of people need support systems and empowering education to do so. And then there’s the whole systemic change thing–eating high-quality, non-factory-farmed meat is simply more expensive than CAFO crap, and it shouldn’t be.
It’s fine to have high expectations for people and their health, but if we actually care we need to realized that grumbling about it makes zero changes and there are things we can do to actually change things. Perhaps consider volunteering with an org. that offers cooking lessons to low-income folks or teaches school kids how to grow plants?
I could not agree more. Hubby & I did the math about six years ago and it really made more sense financially and health-wise for me to quit my corporate job and be what you referred to as “the Food Production Person.”
This way we save the money we would have otherwise spent on professional attire shopping, gas, etc. and, in turn, I dedicate a great deal of my time to getting seeds (trading, buying or saving our own), tending to the compost and the actual food preparation and preservation. In the near future there will be chickens (like Salatin said “all I want to do is illegal” and so will be chickens but let them try and take them away from me!) and perhaps bees as well.
The only downside to it is that, unless you have children to look after, having a small side business does not appear to cut it for most people who look at me as if to say “when are you going to get a *real* job?” Our health is my main job I feel like saying…but I know there are so many people who just would not understand. They sure do *love* the fresh eats when they pop for dinner though
Thats the perfect model that I’m working at to! It seems totally logical to spend more time growing your own food and developing your food community rather than working a stressful job in an office. I’ve been there and I’ve done it for many years. Now my job is living.
i live in rural southern france where the growing climate and history of growing, hunting and gathering makes it almost impossible to not some how have a direct link to ones food, but even so i see mass produced frozen foods making their way into school cantines and peoples dinner tables at an alarmingly fast rate. it scares me to see how easily we can be deceived, purchased, bought, how quickly we can be convinced of how to spend our time ‘working’ and what it means to be successful ‘having money’. My husband and i work a small artisanal wine domaine, we choose to put the soil, our vines and the quality of our wine before anything else, some times before profit. Starting out a tiny little fish isn’t easy and financial worry’s are real worry’s but it’s important to way them out with the other rewards we get from choosing to live with respect and close to the nature around us. We are healthy, satisfied and spoiled with true luxuries everyday. Let’s us decide what a luxury in our life really is. Fresh roasted chestnuts, a garden tomato strait from the vine, your three year old bright eyed with a warm egg in his hand or the latest plastic computer gadget fancy car thingy that will never decompose and just may take a good deal of your hours rather than giving them back. Please keep voicing your opinion and I will continue to enjoy being a part of this important conversation over something tasty to eat!
Beautiful words Amanda!!! Thanks for sharing! I love your blog too!!!
Wow Rohan, really got some debate going there. I was sad about the negative comment but it was totally out numbered.
I quit work 10 years ago to be the home food production person. Now we have a couple of acres we can grow fruit trees too and breed chickens. I would love to catch some of the wild rabbits around here. I can’t use a snare as I’ll catch the heighbours dog in it for sure and that won’t go down well. I need a gun perhaps. Can you kill a rabbit with an air rifle do you know? And then there is the licence to have it.
Cheers
Dayla